


In the Name of Love

by kelefante



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Goth Keith (Voltron), M/M, Minor Antok/Kolivan (Voltron), Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, One Night Stands, Pining Keith (Voltron), Rock Star AU, Rock Star Shiro (Voltron), Romantic Soulmates, Sheithlentines 2019, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, don't worry everyone is legal in the end, sprinkle of angst, underage pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 18:01:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17882567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelefante/pseuds/kelefante
Summary: When Keith was 15 he found his soulmate in an up and coming lead singer named Takashi Shirogane, he even has the soulmark to prove it. The only problem was Shiro had no idea who Keith was and Keith knows he can't approach Shiro about it. Fast forward to 6 years later and Shiro finally notices him. Too bad life gets in the way yet again.





	In the Name of Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Shielentines gift exchange for Littlesongbirb on Twitter! It was a pleasure getting to write this out and I hope that they enjoy it! I also made a very short [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12181009418/playlist/4moCdVpJNZVoatJqc6jPO5?si=CgUccI8TT4ScAqqCt7Yajw) for the fic. I also hope folks get my song reference at the beginning. Yeah, I figured Shiro would be that much of a dork to do a cover of that song. Really I love him.
> 
> Also, to note again: The fic starts with Keith at age 15 but the bulk of the story and relationship is when Keith is 22. It wasn't mentioned as a no for my valentines so hope that works, and if that isn't okay for anyone else maybe skip this one.

Six years ago, Keith was 15 and hated every moment of his life. He'd been in the foster system for 7 years quickly going on 8 and no one, not a single home, had wanted to keep him. The story was usually the same. It started that families would take him in but inevitably have their own family or have to move for their careers or whatever excuses they gave, but Keith knew it had to be him. His mother had never been around, not that he could remember if she had or not, but his father had been alive and in his life until one fateful night when he didn't come home. 

It wasn't as if Keith hadn't known what happened. His father was a firefighter, a hero, someone willing to sacrifice his life for others. Keith knew this. Keith knew this was why his father was at work that night while his only child was asleep at home, and why when he heard there was a little boy still in the blazing house he had gone in to save him -- Neither made it out. Keith wondered some nights if his father had held that boy and thought of Keith. He supposed he'd never know. 

This was why he was never surprised when families chose their own lives and own children over him. He was never first in anyone's life. It only got worse as he got older and started acting out because what did it matter? It became a test, one most foster families failed when it came to Keith. He was on his 5th foster home and on his way to getting sent back to the orphanage (His foster family was sick of his delinquency issues. They'd wanted a good kid and not the problem that was Keith.) when he'd been at a Battle of the Bands concert in the local park and his entire world changed.

It was a very ingrained part of everyone's lives, the hope that one day they'd get their soulmark, the initials of the love of their lives marked somewhere on their skin as a few simple letters. As a high school student, it was impossible not to know about it. You couldn't go more than a few feet in the hall without hearing some girl lamenting about how she hadn't gotten her mark yet, as if that was any surprise. Most people didn't get their soul marks until their 20s when they were out in the world and college. Oddly enough you never heard boys talking about this sort of thing. Maybe it was some stupid gender thing. Keith never really got that, he didn't care if he was a boy or a girl, he knew he'd never get his soul mark. Who could possibly be tied to him by that string of fate? It would have to be the unluckiest person in the whole world. Keith was sure of that. Besides, Keith was convinced that by that fateful evening he wouldn't have to worry or hear about soulmarks ever again. He wasn't going back to the orphanage, not again. 

He'd been at the concert for a few hours now. He was supposed to be back home, grounded, but he'd snuck out. He didn't really want to go back, but he supposed he should in case his foster family decided to notice the fact that he hadn't been home yet and call the cops. He was leaving, feeling like the entire world was falling away and ready to fall with it when he heard the soft sound of a guitar and a voice that sounded like it had come from heaven itself. He stopped in his tracks and turned towards the stage. The crowd around the band was huge, a bunch of screaming teenage girls around the gazebo where the band was playing but none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was the Asian boy standing front and center with a guitar in his hand and a mic up to perfect lips. If you had asked, Keith would have sworn his heart had stopped beating. 

He moved closer, but the thick crowd kept him from getting too near the stage. He tried focusing on the lyrics but it was hard to focus on anything when he'd never seen a man so beautiful. His hair was cropped short, a small tuft of black hair falling across his forehead, arms that looked way too big to be contained in the tight black t-shirt he was wearing and legs that could have killed a man squeezed into ripped black skinny jeans, and black converse on his feet. Keith, the kid in the oversized hoodie, pants that were too long and sagged a bit, with sneakers that were ready to fall apart at any moment, wouldn't have stood a chance of being noticed. Yet in one fateful moment, his eyes met Shiro's and his lyrics were burned into his soul as he sang. 

_"...hold on, if you feel like letting go. Hold on, it gets better than you know…"_

A part of him knew it was stupid. How could this guy, this absolutely perfect being, know what was going through Keith's head? He sat there and listened to the song until the last chords of the guitar faded into raucous cheers of joy from the crowd. 

"Thank you! I hope you enjoyed that! I know it's an oldie, but I thought we could start with something a lot of us need to hear." More cheers from the crowd. "I'm Takashi Shirogane, and this is Voltron!" 

The cheers ran into the opening cords of the next song and Keith's spell was broken long enough to register the slight pain in his wrist. He shook out his hand, trying to ignore it and stayed to listen to the rest of the set. It was mostly cover songs, but they finished with a few original songs that made Keith's heartache. The lyrics were filled with longing and loneliness, but a hope Keith had long since forgotten. He was hooked. 

There was an angry buzzing in his pocket and Keith cursed. Only one person would be calling him. He headed out, knowing full well he was going to get a scolding, but somehow that didn't matter. He passed by the booth that was selling the various bands CDs and contemplated stealing the one for Voltron but diced that Takashi deserved better. He walked on and went home. 

That night, Keith sat in his room, mercifully allowed to keep his laptop but only because he'd convinced the orphanage to let him buy it with the trust money his father had left behind and it was "illegal" for his foster family to "take" his stuff. Worked like a charm. When all else failed threaten legal action and the foster parents would leave you alone. Keith wasn't even sure if it was true, but it sounded legit so he was left alone. He went to Voltron's band page and read up on the members as much as he could, but especially the lead singer, Takashi Shirogane. Even his name was perfect. Apparently, he liked to go by Shiro, at least that's what his bandmates called him in the comments. It was cute. Keith found himself smiling as he looked at his picture. 

What was wrong with him?

He sighed and shook his head as he set his laptop aside. He must have been crazy. He had never acted like this before about any band, or one person. Had he hit his head when he wasn't paying attention? Stupid.

Pulling off his hoodie he started getting ready for bed. It wasn't until he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth that he noticed the mark. The black ink like stain was hard to miss on Keith's pale wrist. He nearly choked on his toothpaste when he noticed it. 

He spits out the white foam and turned his wrist to look at what had to be a hallucination. There, on his previously unmarked wrist right where the skin was thinnest were the initials TS in the most beautiful handwriting he had ever seen. Of course, Shiro would have perfect handwriting. 

He turned the faucet to hot and tried scrubbing the marks off as tears started to well up in his eyes. No, no, no, how could this be? How could his soulmark show up now, tonight of all nights? Okay, the day hadn't been a complete waste, and he'd actually had a good evening after being yelled at for sneaking out and getting the confirmation that he'd be going back to the orphanage in a few days, but this? How could this have happened now? Now when it was too late to do anything about having met his soulmate and neither of them had realized it.

He cursed again when the scrubbing only got him a red wrist that was nearly rubbed raw, but the mark didn't go away or fade. It wasn't an illusion. 

Keith covered his face with his hands and tried not to think about how hopeless this was. Just how cruel was his fate? He was 15, Shiro was 21, that was practically decades away in terms of age why would Shiro even be remotely interested in him? Spoilers: He wouldn't. Besides, how was Keith supposed to get close to him? Track him down and knock on his door and show him his wrist? Yeah right. Stalker. Though if it was true...Keith flushed as he imagined a double K branded somewhere on Shiro's body. 

God, he was a mess. 

He stayed in the bathroom with his eyes closed and hands covering his face. He pulled his hands down slowly and looked into the mirror. If it was true, then he would have to wait. No way would Shiro even entertain the thought of being soulmates with a 15-year-old. Not only was that illegal, but any adult in their right mind would also run the other way. No. There was no way he'd put Shiro through that kind of conundrum. He'd just have to wait. 

He'd have to wait. 

Six years later, those same violet eyes, older and wiser now, were staring back and remembering that fateful night. 

Life had gotten better. He contemplated that as he took his favorite eyeliner and drew a wing with a practiced hand. Life had actually gotten better. Sure he'd been sent back to the orphanage but that was when Kolivan had found him and taken an interest in the boy no one else had wanted. He'd taken Keith in and was the very first to pass Keith's test, him and Antok. The couple had given Keith every stability he could have asked for and never once gave up on him. As much as Shiro's words had saved him and stopped the dark spiral of his thoughts, and as much as the mark on his wrist had kept Keith from slipping every time he looked at it, Kolivan and Antok had saved him by giving him a home and adopting him. He was grateful to them. They had made it possible for Keith to have a future and got him to where he was now with their support, a senior in college. No, the red eyeshadow and winged eyeliner that was sharp as a knife were not exactly part of their plans, but they supported their goth son. Keith would always be grateful to them. Moreso because they let Keith keep his last name and didn't question it when they saw the mark on Keith's wrist. 

It had been years since that night and Keith had grown in the habit of keeping the mark covered whenever he was out. A single strap of black leather made that easy. He didn't need the looks at school nor did he need to try and encourage ire from all of Shiro's fans by flaunting it if someone saw it at a Voltron concert. Besides, who was really to say that the TS belonged to Shiro? Maybe it had been some other random person in the crowd that Keith hadn't even noticed. Ha. No, Keith knew it had to be Shiro, but Shiro was unobtainable. Not that it would stop him from attending every concert he could and praying that he would be noticed. Voltron had made it big after that Battle of the Bands. Keith was lucky enough to see them whenever they came to town, sometimes with Kolivan or Antok in tow. The band had moved on from old emo band covers, but that was fine. Their sound was unique and one that was ever evolving and growing. Keith loved it. In fact, it was where he was going on this evening 6 years to the day from the first time he heard them and fell in love.

Keith doubted the concert would be any different than normal. He had been to several and they were all the same. Front row or not he'd inevitably be overlooked amongst the crowd. If Shiro did have a KK somewhere on his person it wasn't as if he could sense Keith. It didn't work like that which honestly sucked. What creator would make it so that you could get your soul mark, but not sense where your partner was? What if it was someone you passed on the subway? How would you ever get that moment back? It was cruel, but Keith was lucky, at least he hoped he was. 

Makeup done, he observed himself in the mirror. He'd filled out quite a bit in 6 years. Probably helped that Kolivan and Antok were both into their home gym. He looked good. Keith knew he looked good. He smirked and finished off his outfit with a black choker with the band's symbol on it in red. Never wear the band's t-shirt to a concert, or so he'd been told once, but whoever had said that was lame and subtle jewelry was more Keith's style now anyway. 

He headed out, getting onto his red motorcycle he'd affectionately named Red (Not imaginative this Keith Kogane.) and headed out to the venue. He was there hours early, but that was just fine. By the time the doors opened he had a spot front and center and was ready to see Shiro in all his glory.

Shiro really hadn't changed in 6 years. He'd filled out more, maybe grew a bit taller too but that was hard to tell from a worm's eye view of a stage. The most telling change was that he'd started bleaching his hair all white. It was handsome and suited Shiro somehow. Though as far as Keith was concerned, Shiro could have shaved his head bald and he would have still loved him. 

Thankfully Keith didn't have to think about that too much. He leaned against the rail separating the pit from the stage and waited for the show to start. When the lights went down he cheered with the rest of Shiro's many adoring fans.

The set was amazing. It was easily one of the best that Keith had ever been to and he was sad that the night was probably winding down. It had almost been an hour since Voltron had taken the stage and the black and white leather jacket that Shiro had been wearing had been tossed aside ages ago. Keith wished the black t-shirt would go too, but Shiro never took his shirt off no matter how hot things got on stage. They were taking a small break between songs for Shiro to snag a drink of water. He was walking back to the front when he caught Keith's eyes and actually stopped in his tracks. For just a split second Keith's heart stopped and he felt like he was 15 again. Had Shiro noticed him? No, no way. He smirked and held Shiro's gaze just to test it and was surprised when his smirk was met with one of Shiro's perfect smiles. Oh god, had he…

"Is everyone having a good night?" Shiro asked of the audience. For a moment, Keith forgot to answer, though he knew Shiro couldn't hear him. "I'd like to try something new for this next song. We're almost done for the night, but I want to do something special." He laughed when his bassist made an angry sounding riff on the strings to which Shiro only laughed. "I know I didn't plan this, but I think you'll all forgive me." 

What was he doing?

"I'd like to ask a member from the audience to come up here and join me for our next song." 

Keith's jaw dropped and his hand shot up without even thinking. No way, no way, Shiro had never done that before. What was going on? Okay, but it wasn't as if he would pick Keith, he wouldn't pick, oh my god he was pointing at Keith. 

"Yeah, you with the red t-shirt, front, and center." Shiro grinned and gestured for Keith to come on stage. Bless the great God above no one else was front and center and wearing red. Everyone else was wearing black. Fuck. Keith went pale beneath his foundation and swallowed hard as he found himself jumping over the barricade and was led up to the stage by security. He wasn't even sure how he was moving in that moment. He was on auto-pilot, palms sweaty, knees weak, and wasn't that the start of another song about living for the moment and not letting the opportunity go? Fuck. 

"What's your name?" Shiro asked, still smiling and holding the mike now so that the audience could hear Keith.

Keith paused and for a moment he forgot his damn name. He leaned forward, recovering as well as he could and said, "Keith." Nothing more. He wasn't stupid enough to give his full name out in what amounted to a public forum, not if he screwed this up. 

"Well Keith, I hope you know this next song," Shiro teased. 

Oh no he didn't. Keith smirked and leaned in close to Shiro. "I might know it better than you." He grinned toothily. This was the one thing he had absolute confidence in. He knew all of their songs by heart. 

Shiro laughed, "You heard him, folks!" He put the mic back on the stand and started the first cords. Oh yeah, Keith knew this. Without missing a beat he leaned into the mike and started singing, perfectly on pitch, but with that whiskey tone to his voice that never went away after puberty hit. Shiro was dumbstruck before joining in with Keith and singing with him. At that moment, the world fell away and it was only Keith and Shiro, singing their hearts out. Keith and Shiro under the glare of the lights, feeling the heat and singing to one another. How appropriate that it was a love ballad.

The song ended too soon and the roar of the crowd was drowned out by the sound of Shiro's voice. "That was great!" He grinned that infectious grin and Keith found he was smiling too. "Here," Shiro held out his hand for Keith to shake and slipped him a bit of paper. "Meet me backstage when the show is over." Shiro winked and Keith headed off stage before things got awkward. He held tight to that slip of paper like it was the only thing keeping him grounded and maybe it was. Keith had never felt so happy in his life. 

Though he did enjoy the rest of the show, Keith was antsy. He wanted to hurry up and see what Shiro wanted from him, he could only imagine, but perhaps it was nothing more than another congratulation. Yeah, that was it. 

Voltron played 2 more songs and didn't come back for an encore but Keith wasn't going to complain this time. While the rest of the crowd headed for the exits, Keith headed for backstage. He flashed the piece of paper he'd been giving and Keith was led into a very literal green room. The other bandmates were congratulating each other on a show well done and there was Shiro, sweat hanging to his brow and positively glowing. Keith suddenly felt too big for his skin. What was he doing here? This was a mistake this was...why was he so nervous? God, he was 15 again, and in the middle of an intern a pep talk to himself Shiro turned and noticed him. Why was that smile so bright?

"Keith!" Shiro grinned and went to hug him like they were best friends. He smelled of open fields and summer days. Keith loved it. "You were amazing! Have you sung before?"

"Only in the shower," Keith answered before mentally kicking himself but the smile on Shiro's face soothed all his worries. It wasn't really possible to feel nervous around him, was it? Not in the traditional sense anyway. "Thanks for letting me back here. You've been my favorite band since I was 15."

That drew the attention of the bassist. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at Keith skeptically. "How old are you?"

Keith frowned. He was used to people judging him and knew all too well when it was happening. "I turn 22 this year." He answered quickly. "Want to know my birth year too?"

Shiro laughed. "No, Keith it's fine." He flushed, but maybe that was just the afterglow from the concert. "It doesn't matter." He ignored the grumbling from behind him. "Can you hang with us for a bit? I'd like to get to know you better if that's all right."

Had Keith died and gone to heaven? He nodded dumbly and when Shiro gestured for Keith to sit beside him on the couch and offered him a beer he didn't know what else to do but accept. Keith had never been fully on board with beer. It tasted bitter, but for Shiro, he'd have drunk poison. He sipped at it, engaging with the band and ignoring the glares from the bassist who seemed to have a beef with him, but what exactly he didn't know and didn't care. Shiro was the only one that mattered. 

Keith lost track of the hours, it was easy talking with Shiro and he was having a good time. The beer had him a little light-headed, not beyond reason and more than able to function, but when Shiro asked in a quiet whisper that only he could hear, "Keith, do you want to come back to the hotel with me?" Keith said yes. His heart was pounding again, but getting a chance to be alone with Shiro? How could he pass that up? He stood and helped the band grab their few personable effects that their road hand hadn't already taken away and headed out. The pounding of his heart didn't get any better when Shiro put an arm around Keith's shoulders as they walked. It was getting increasingly harder to not think that he was actually dead or in some kind of coma where all his dreams were coming true. It was too good to be true. 

The short walk to the hotel and the ride up the elevator to the suite was a blur that had nothing to do with alcohol consumption. What Keith did remember and what was in vivid focus in his memory was when Shiro pulled him into his room and kissed him so hard that Keith swore he saw stars. What Keith remembered was how Shiro's hands felt on his hips and the way his fingers slipped under his shirt and slid against his skin. It was exactly what Keith had wanted and couldn't have for far too long. 

Shiro's kisses were soft and gentle. He was so sweet, but if this was happening Keith wanted more. He pushed Shiro over to the bed and was amazed by how easily Shiro sat down and pulled Keith into his lap. Keith hummed into the kiss and spread his legs to straddle Shiro, grinding down and gasping against his lips when he felt how hard Shiro already was. He kissed Shiro again, hard and with as much adoration as he could force into it. He didn't want to break that kiss, but breath dictated he must. He put a little distance between them and slipped his t-shirt off and tossed it to the side. 

"Oh," Shiro breathed out, staring up at Keith and taking him in. "Baby you're beautiful." 

Keith flushed at the pet name. "Have you looked in a mirror?" He asked softly, chuckling and pushing Shiro's chest so that he'd lay back. "Can I take care of you?" He asked. 

"Yes," Shiro said without hesitation. His beautiful gray eyes were dark with lust. Keith could have stared into them all night if he was allowed.

He smiled and leaned over to kiss Shiro once before moving to undo his pants, leather now, and pulled them down. He was greeted by a sizable tent behind black silk boxers. "I've dreamed of this," Keith barely registered what he was saying. Had he even spoken aloud? 

"So have I," Shiro said so soft Keith wasn't even sure he heard it. He would have asked, but the treat in front of him was too much. He kissed Shiro through the silk of his boxers and elicited a moan that went straight to Keith's groin. He kissed and sucked on the shaft of Shiro's arousal through the cloth before pulling it off and moaning at the real thing. Oh, Shiro was perfect everywhere. 

Keith licked up Shiro's shaft and watched as precum beaded and pooled at the top of his head. He wanted to taste all of him, so without hesitation he took Shiro into his mouth and sucked, moaning at the taste and gasping softly when Shiro couldn't help but thrust a little into his mouth. He pulled back and licked his lips. He chuckled at the look of distress on Shiro's face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you hanging."

"That's not what I was, ah!" Shiro cried out as Keith took him back in and started sucking heartily on his head. He reached down and tangled his fingers into Keith's soft black hair.

Keith groaned. The tug to his scalp felt good and he wanted more of it. He pulled back again with a pop and said, "You can pull if you want. I won't break," and went back to work. He was rewarded by a sharp pull and moaned heartily to show he appreciated it. He'd always liked sex a little rough. He was well aware of who his soul mate was, but a boy had needs. He was grateful for the practice he'd had. It meant he could take Shiro with minimal gagging and the noises he did make were more for show than anything else. He listened for Shiro's own moans, gauging when to let up and when to bob faster to purposefully pull Shiro to the edge before pulling away and making him thrust into his mouth. 

"Fuck," Shiro cursed softly. "Your mouth feels so good." 

Keith smiled around Shiro's cock. He drew back and used his hand to keep Shiro from wanting. "Do you want to feel more than my mouth?"

"What?" Shiro didn't quite compute at first. He felt dizzy from what Keith had been doing and seeing Keith crouched in front of his crotch, stroking his dick, and looking like it was the most casual thing he could be doing was almost enough to break him right then and there. 

"Do you have condoms?" Keith asked. Safe sex was important though maybe they should have discussed that sooner. 

"Y-yeah." Shiro sounded almost ashamed to admit it which was somehow incredibly endearing. "Nightstand." He gestured to where it was just out of reach. 

"Hold tight," Keith stood up and went to get what he was promised. Honestly, he needed the break. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure he might die. Lucky him, he found condoms and lube right where Shiro had promised. "Get lonely on the road much?" Keith teased gently though there was no malice in his voice.

"A man has needs," Shiro said with a hint of embarrassment. He moved further up the bed so Keith would have more room. 

"Well, good thing I'm here now." Keith's voice held more bravado than he was feeling. There'd be no turning back soon. Hell, there was practically no turning back now. He couldn't stop with only the taste of Shiro's dick on his tongue, could he? He undid the button and fly of his own denim skinny jeans and shoved them to the floor. He flushed at the gasp Shiro let out when he saw Keith. 

"Wow, you're--"

"Beautiful?" Keith said softly around the foil packet now between his teeth. "You said that." He moved to straddle Shiro's thighs and coated his fingers with lube. 

"Let me," Shiro took Keith's hand and coated his own fingers with the lube that had been on Keith's. Keith blushed and moved further up Shiro's body to give him easier access. 

"Show me," Keith's voice was quiet but firm. "Get me ready for you." 

Shiro smiled and took Keith's clean hand into his and twined their fingers together. He slid his fingers along Keith's taint and smiled when he heard the small whine leave Keith's throat. He teased Keith's entrance, testing him, and moving slowly so he didn't hurt him. 

"I won't break," Keith reassured again, squeezing Shiro's hand in his.

"I'll take your word for that," Shiro said before pushing a finger inside of him. Keith cried out, head tilting back and body going taught. 

"Yes."

Shiro smiled and started to work his finger in and out of Keith's body, getting him ready and pushing in a second finger when Keith started to move his hips down on the first. He worked him open slow and easy. He could have kept doing that all night except that wasn't what Keith wanted. Truth be told it wasn't all Shiro wanted either. 

"Need your cock," Keith whined. 

"As you wish," Shiro smiled and pulled his fingers free. He guided his cock to Keith's entrance and would have raised his hips to push in except Keith was already pushing down the moment he'd felt Shiro's cock hit his entrance. A flash of responsibility and Keith remembered the condom was now laying beside Shiro. Too late now. Fuck it. Keith started to move his hips, riding Shiro and thoroughly catching him by surprise. 

"Oh, oh damn, Keith. Wow, yeah," Shiro praised him and arched up towards his lover. Keith smiled and worked his hips a little faster, teasing much as his mouth had and with that same attention to detail. He sped up at just the right moments to get Shiro moaning loudly and slowed down right before he got too close to that edge. 

"You feel so good, Shiro," Keith moaned deep in his throat and smoothed his fingers along Shiro's chest and under the cloth of the shirt that had never come off. That was fine. Keith didn't need it off. He slipped his hands up until he found Shiro's nipples and flicked them with his thumbs. The sound Shiro made was too good to be true. "Wow, sensitive?" He asked, grinning like a cat with a mouse to play with. He worked his fingers back and forth across the hardened buds and drew forth a chorus of moans from Shiro's throat. It was magic. It was everything Keith could have asked for, and he began to lose track of just how long he was living the best fantasy he'd ever had.

"Keith," Shiro held onto Keith's hips and started to thrust up into him quickly. Keith moaned loudly. "Getting close." 

"Come with me?" Keith asked, not sure if he could pull that off, but more than willing to try. They were soulmates, weren't they? Weren't they? 

"Yes, yes baby, of course." Shiro reached for one of Keith's hands and held it, fingers laced together, as he started to thrust fast and hard. He waited for the right moment, the perfect time before taking Keith's cock into his hand and stroked in time to his thrusts. 

"Shiro," Keith moaned out his name in a soft litany before his release hit him just as the warmth of Shiro's own filled him up. He cried out, cum coating Shiro's hand. If you'd asked, Keith would have sworn he saw the creation of the universe at that moment. Shiro worked them down, thrusting soft and slow through the shivers of both their bodies. Keith found himself whimpering softly and if it wasn't for the slight pain in his hips from keeping his legs spread he would have wondered again if this was a dream. 

He smiled down at Shiro and kissed him slow and deep. 

"Thank you," He said, meaning it with all he had.

"You don't have to thank me," Shiro said just as sweet. 

"Hm," Keith hummed and kissed him again, bathing in the afterglow and wishing this moment never had to end.

Sadly, all good things must. 

He pulled himself off of Shiro's cock and flushed at the mess he could feel inside of him. He didn't regret it, not one bit, but he looked a little sad. Now that he wasn't drunk on lust, he could look over Shiro's body and he didn't see a single mark there. Had he been wrong?

"What's wrong?" Shiro asked softly. He reached up with his clean hand and smoothed back the bangs from Keith's face.

"Nothing," He said automatically though he wondered if maybe, just maybe he shouldn't take off the leather bracelet that was still firmly attached to his wrist. If he showed Shiro the TS would the corresponding KK appear on Shiro's skin? Keith didn't think so, and besides, Shiro was a rock star. There were probably hundreds of fans who had near identical TS tattoos. Not unheard of, but not exactly in good taste either. Maybe Keith was wrong, and while he hadn't seen all of Shiro's bare body, his back and chest were still a mystery, how could Keith ask in hindsight? This was probably no more than a one-night stand and he'd just have to be content with that. "I was just thinking I don't want this to end, but I have exams next week, so I should go." 

"Oh," Shiro looked sad. Probably hoping for another round, Keith thought cynically before mentally chiding himself. Shiro wasn't like that. "Well, school is important." 

Keith forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The glow he'd felt earlier was gone and now he just felt sad. Opportunity missed, but at least he had this night. He swung off the bed and started to get dressed. 

Shiro sat up and watched Keith. He had the dignity to pull a pillow over his lap so he wasn't sitting there with little Takashi hanging around, though Keith didn't really care. He headed for the door, moving quickly now so he could rip this emotional bandaid off before it got too hard and he made himself out to be some kind of creepy stalker by revealing a mark that could have easily been a tattoo. Fuck.

"Keith," Shiro called out making him pause. "Before you leave, can I give you my number?" 

That stopped Keith dead in his tracks. He turned to look at Shiro not daring to believe his ears. 

"I'd like to call you or," Shiro started to amend as he saw the look that crossed Keith's face. Keith hated phone calls, "text."

Keith thought about it. Chances were Shiro would save the number and never actually follow through. He was a big rockstar after all. What time could he actually have for Keith? "Yeah okay." He went back to him and handed his phone over. 

Shiro took it, wiping his hand aggressively on the comforter in the most endearing of ways, and handed it back once he was done. 

"Thanks," Keith sounded awkward, but he took the phone back and nearly kissed Shiro again before he practically bolted out the door. Thank god none of Shiro's bandmates were in the area to see his epic walk of shame. 

Back home Keith nearly didn't send the text. He'd taken his makeup off, showered, and had an oversized shirt and boxers on for bed when his phone caught his eye from over on the nightstand. Shiro hadn't sent a text back on his own. He was leaving it up to Keith to reach out. Keith stared at the phone for what felt like an eternity before sending back a simple text that held a grain of his truth.

Keith: _I miss you._

He honestly didn't expect a response back. At the best it was late and Shiro had probably gone to sleep but when his text tone went off Keith barely believed what he heard. 

Shiro: _I miss you too._

Holy shit.

Keith smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be impossible? At best, he had a connection and that was more than he could say for the past 6 years. 

Keith: _Sleep well._

Shiro: _Sweet dreams, babe._

A pet name. Was it a fluke? Keith didn't know. Maybe Shiro was just friendly like that. Though he had called him that while there were having sex too. That at least had made sense. You said a lot of stuff while having sex you might not normally. Keith had never noticed Shiro using pet names on the band's FB page, but it was possible it was actually a normal tic. Whatever it was, it made Keith happy and he went to sleep with a smile on his face. 

Days turned to weeks and weeks to months. Voltron moved on along their concert tour and Keith and Shiro never stopped texting. At first, Keith was surprised by how much Shiro actually responded. He had woken up that morning believing he wouldn't hear from Shiro again, but he did over and over until he stopped doubting it. Talking with him over text was just as easy as it had been in person and after a few months, he even got used to talking over the phone and via Skype. Shiro would stay up with Keith when Keith was studying and Keith got private jam sessions when the mood struck Shiro which was often. He tried not to think too much into the fact that every song was a love song. Coincidence right?

The semester had flown by and both Keith and Shiro had good news. Keith would be graduating soon with his degree in aerospace engineering and had an internship lined up and Shiro was coming back home now that the tour was officially over. It was his hometown after all. It was exciting to hear but Keith also knew not to look too far into it. Their lives were so very different how could they ever work out their romantic life, oh, right, they didn't have one. They were friends. Friends that had fucked once and that was it. Keith was convinced of that and while it ached beyond words he was learning to be okay with that. 

Shiro: _So since I'm coming home I wanted to ask you something._

Keith: _Yeah…???_

Shiro: _Do you want to get dinner at that diner you told me about? Do you have time._

Keith: _For you? … Yes, I can make time._

Shiro: _Great! I'll see you at 6?_

Keith: _Sounds good._

 

Dinner. It made Keith smile, but he was sure it was nothing too special. He'd told Shiro about what had to be his favorite food place ever, best burgers in town, and he probably wanted to try it out now that he was back. Nothing special at all. Just friends being friends. He sighed and shook his head. Sometimes being friends with Shiro was hard. Every day he'd look at the TS and wonder if he shouldn't tell Shiro, but how could he break that trust they had? No, he'd keep it a secret. He couldn't risk this. 

Convinced this was nothing more than a casual get together, Keith kept his makeup and dress minimal. No sense to dress to impress when it was a friend right? Keith sighed. He was going to have to make peace with his secret someday, but today wasn't going to be that day. He headed out, and when he saw Shiro waiting for him at the dinner it was like that first time all over again. Would it always be like this? Would Keith be doomed to have cardiac arrest whenever he saw Shiro in person? 

"Shiro, hey." He held out his hand and Shiro clasped it, pulling Keith into a hug that made his cheeks flush and his heart race. Thank god he had bothered with foundation, so Shiro couldn't question how red his face got.

"I haven't seen you in months and that's all you can say?" Shiro grinned, teasing, but clearly not actually upset.

"Okay, sorry. It's good to see you." Keith meant that. He squeezed Shiro and for a moment let himself believe they were more than friends. "How was the trip?" He made small talk, parting from Shiro's grip and helping guide them into the diner. His favorite waiter was here and he waived to the sandy-haired man who was a few years older. He'd been working the diner as long as he could remember. 

They were led to a table, placed orders, chatted and ate. It was like two old friends meeting though they had only known each other for less than half a year. It was comfortable. Keith thinks that he could get used to this even if it kills him. 

"Keith, I did invite you here for a reason," Shiro shoved aside the mostly eaten basket of fries that they had been sharing. Keith watched it go and several worst-case scenarios played through his head before he forced himself to focus on Shiro. 

"Yeah? What's up?" He sounded concerned. Not a lie. He was suddenly nervous.

"Well…" Shiro paused and worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "I'm thinking of quitting the band."

Keith was just about to take a sip of his water and was grateful he hadn't. He might have spit his drink out all over Shiro. "What? Why?" Keith tried not to shout in the small diner. The band was crazy successful and had so much potential to keep getting bigger. They were popular and all because of Shiro. 

"Because I found something," Shiro reached over and took Keith's hand, "I found someone worth putting down roots for." 

Keith felt his heart stop again. He really needed to get that checked. "What?" He asked quietly. No way, this wasn't…

"I found you, Keith," Shiro smiled and squeezed Keith's hand. "I want to stay here with you. You have a future here and I've missed you so much on the road I can't be away from you again. I don't want to be away from you again."

"Shiro," Keith was near speechless, "Shiro no, you can't you...you have all your fans, the band, I...I'm not that important." All his childhood fears came up from the depths. He had never fully gotten rid of those abandonment issues, though his fathers had been wonderful in keeping him grounded, it was still hard to believe when an outsider, a stranger, wanted to stick around. Even more so when it was Shiro, the man whose initials were marked on the inside of his wrist. Keith had tried so desperately to believe they would only be friends so that Keith could live with that distance but now... "Why me?" Keith asked quietly. His palms felt sweaty, but Shiro didn't pull away. He only smiled that dazzling smile of his and laughed softly. 

"Because you're incredibly intelligent and still laugh at my dumb dad jokes, because you know how to make me laugh without even trying. You like nearly all the same movies I do. Because you're beautiful," He laughed again, "and because I believe you're my soulmate and I want to live the rest of my life with you."

The world stopped moving. Keith was positive the world had stopped moving. "Why...why do you say that?" He swallowed hard not daring to believe.

Shiro pulled away then and smiled knowingly. "What's your last name, Keith?" 

"Kogane," He said quietly and watched as Shiro rolled up the sleeve of his right arm. Right on the center of his bicep and in Keith's near illegible chicken scratch were the initials KK. 

"Tell me I'm not wrong."

Keith felt his breath catch in his throat. He shook his head and undid the snaps on his leather bracelet to reveal the TS. "Why didn't you say something?" Keith asked, choking on his emotions as Shiro reached over and touched the initials with his right hand. 

"Because you had school," Shiro said softly. "I know you're a responsible person but I didn't want to distract you from that. You have so much ahead of you Keith and I want to be there to help you. I already talked to the band. We're going to try and find someone else to lead Voltron, but I'm here with you. I'm here with you if you'll have me and will let me support you."

Keith laughed and shook his head. Tears were flowing down his cheeks even as he smiled broader than he had in months. "Of course I want you beside me, you idiot." He wiped at his tears with the heel of his free hand. "I love you." He said without hesitation. "I've loved you since the first time I heard you sing, yes. Shiro yes." 

Shiro smiled and went around to sit beside Keith and pull him into his arms. "Then I'm with you. Whatever it takes, I'm with you till the end. We'll have the rest of our lives together. I love you, Keith. Every love song I ever wrote has always been for you, though I wasn't sure who or where you were."

"You found me," Keith didn't think he'd ever stop crying. 

"We found each other."

**Author's Note:**

> That's it! That's the fic! I hope you enjoyed it! Yes, I kinda switched those iconic lines around but it made more sense in this AU.


End file.
